Preamble
WHEREAS, Section 6, Article II of the Constitution provides that "the State shall promote social justice to ensure the dignity, welfare, and security of all the people. Towards this end, the State shall regulate the acquisition, ownership, use, enjoyment, and disposition of private property, and equitably diffuse property ownership and profits"; WHEREAS, pursuant to the above constitutional mandate, Batas Blg. 25 was enacted whereby the government regulated the rentals of dwelling units or of land on which another's dwelling is located, not exceeding three hundred pesos (P300) a month, for the purpose of preventing the unreasonable rise of rentals so as to alleviate the plight of many people who have no dwelling units or land of their own; WHEREAS, as an added implementing measure, Proclamation No. 1893 was issued declaring Metropolitan Manila as an urban land reform zone to prevent the unreasonable rise in the prices of lands in the area; and WHEREAS, in order to more effectively promote social justice, it is further necessary to freeze the present rates of rentals of residential and commercial buildings, apartments, houses and dwelling units in Metropolitan Manila, above three hundred pesos (P300) a month, until appropriate guidelines, rules and regulations shall have been adopted pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1517 which proclaimed urban land reform in this country; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree: